The Top 100 Yacht Rock songs of all time #41-50.

Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #41-50

Your journey is over halfway done, and by now it’s probably felt like you’ve sailed across the entire world.

You think you’ve visited every deserted island, worn every exotic piece of clothing, and drank every known margarita on the menu. Unfortunately, your journey is coming to an end, but the best part about sailing is that it’s just as good on the way home! So turn that ship around, throw your captain’s hat back on, and drown yourself in the smooth sounds of the Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs countdown.

First, you might want to check out the other editions of the TOP 100 YACHT ROCK SONGS:

Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #91-100
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #81-90
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #71-80
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #61-70
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #51-60
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #41-50
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #31-40
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #21-30

Don’t give up now! The Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs of all-time continues with #41-50:



50. “Rhiannon” – Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac Rhiannon is in the top 100 yacht rock songs of all time.

“Rhiannon” is actually the name of a Welsh witch. But don’t worry, she’s “good witch” – so just like Stevie Nicks she can totally get away with wearing ruby slippers. According to myth, Rhiannon marries a mortal man and is then framed by a God for the murder of her own son. She is then forced to stand at the entrance of a city and tell everyone entering that she killed her child.

And we thought the relationships between the members Fleetwood Mac were complicated.

During live performances, Stevie Nicks’ vocals were said to be so full of passion that singing “Rhiannon” was “like an exorcism” to her. In fact, Nicks even refused to wear black clothing for about two years in an effort to distance herself from the “witchcraft and dark arts” associated with the lyrics to “Rhiannon” and to avoid giving fans the wrong impression. Dang! She’s like, the original goth.

Listen to “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac:

Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon [with lyrics]
BEST TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS ON YOUR YACHT IS…

…the moment you find out the boat you just purchased was also a murder scene, or during your annual yacht Halloween party.

BEST USE IN POP CULTURE

Nicks sang “Rhiannon” during an episode of American Horror Story titled “The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks,” which was also her acting debut. The episode is inspired by real-life rumors about Stevie Nicks’ alleged involvement with witchcraft, so no better way to squash those rumors than to appear on a show about…witchcraft.

BEST LYRIC

“All your life you’ve never seen
A woman taken by the wind.
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?
Will you ever win?”

If you’re dating a witch, then no…you can never win.



49. “Somebody’s Baby” – Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne Somebody's Baby is in the Top 100 Yacht Rock songs of all time.

“Somebody’s Baby” is about a guy who is so infatuated with a girl that he ends up talking himself out of asking her out. As he tries to work up the courage to talk to her, he keeps losing confidence by reminding himself that she’s too beautiful not to already be with someone.

It’s basically the anthem for every frustrated teenage boy, and the protection for every teenage girl against guys they think are losers.

Listen to “Somebody’s Baby” by Jackson Browne:

Jackson Browne - Somebody's Baby - Fast Times at Ridgemont High
BEST TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS ON YOUR YACHT IS…

…the moment you leave the harbor and see the girl you like coming back to shore…with her family.

BEST USE IN POP CULTURE

Browne actually wrote “Somebody’s Baby” specifically for the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It’s playing in the background when Stacy sneaks out on a date with an older man and she loses her virginity at a baseball dugout called “The Point.”

fast-times-ridgemont-high-stacey-the-point

Anytime you have sex in the same place where “Matt was here” is written on the wall then you’re doing it wrong. Also…to date, “The Point” still holds the record for little league home runs. HEY-YOH!

BEST LYRIC

“I try to shut my eyes, but I can’t get her outta my sight.
I know I’m gonna know her, but I gotta get over my fright.”

But next time could you lock the bathroom door, Judge Reinhold?



48. “Desert Island” – Heidecker & Wood

Heidecker and Wood Desert Island is in the top 100 yacht rock songs of all time.

You might know comedian Tim Heidecker best from his explanation of the universe on his show “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” However, he also played in various rock bands in Philadelphia before teaming with show composer Davin Wood to form the mega duo, Heidecker and Wood. “Desert Island” was their most “yacht rockish” song from their 2011 soft rock album Starting From Nowhere.

Listen to “Desert Island” by Heidecker & Wood:

BEST TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS ON YOUR YACHT IS…

…when someone catches you daydreaming in the middle of the ocean.

BEST USE IN POP CULTURE

“Desert Island” was never used in anything, but in 2006, Tim was stabbed twice in the upper back while attempting to protect an elderly neighbor. So, I guess you can say this song is a hero.

Tim Heidecker stabbed in the back.

BEST LYRIC

“And there’s no streets on the desert island.
And there’s no tears for the city man.”

The city man isn’t crying because there are no streets on the island. He’s crying because he just crashed his new $100,000 yacht.



47. “This Is It” – Kenny Loggins

Kenny Loggins "This is it" is in the Top 100 yacht rock songs of all time.

They say when you die that you’re supposed to “look toward the light,” but what if that light was held by none other than Bearded God Kenny Loggins? Answer: You just had yourself the most awesome death imaginable.

And it was ironically a brush with death that also inspired the lyrics to “This Is It.” What started out as a love ballad when Loggins wrote this with fellow beard bro, Michael McDonald, actually ended up being an inspirational song for his ailing father.

“It’s not a love song. It’s a life song.” – Loggins

He fought with his dad just before checking him into the hospital because he thought his father had given up. The lyrics encouraged his dad to “stand up and fight,” and he ended up living four more years.

Listen to “This Is It” by Kenny Loggins:

However, just looking at Kenny’s beard would give most men eternal life. No joke.

BEST TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS ON YOUR YACHT IS…

…when you’ve wrecked your boat on a deserted island and you just ran out of water.

BEST USE IN POP CULTURE

“This Is It” has become a staple for college basketball, as it’s traditionally played as the background music during the national champions video montage.

1980 Louisville Basketball Championship Special THIS IS IT

Of course, “This Is It” could also be played after most Duke or North Carolina sweet sixteen games. Zing!

BEST LYRIC

“Are you gonna wait for a sign, your miracle?
Stand up and fight!”

Yeah, Kenny Loggins’ dad. Your son wrote the Top Gun theme!



46. “On And On” – Stephen Bishop

Stephen Bishop "On and On" is in the top 100 yacht rock songs of all time.

Stephen Bishop likes to sing about people who lose their significant others in exotic locations, which makes “On And On” an anthem for any Yacht Rock playlist. It makes you wonder if this song was based on a personal experience, but Bishop insists it wasn’t. Apparently his landlady raised exotic flowers and those inspired him to write about Jamaica.

Suuurrrrre, Stephen Bishop. After all, he did say that “I write much better when I’m heartbroken and sad or melancholy,” and this song reached #11 on the Billboard charts. Coincidence? I think not.

Listen to “On And On” by Stephen Bishop:

Stephen Bishop - On And On
BEST TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS ON YOUR YACHT IS…

…after you’ve spent thousands of dollars on a dream vacation cruise with your fiancé, only to discover she fell in love with your best friend.

BEST USE IN POP CULTURE

Patrick Bateman, the fictional anti-hero from American Psycho, is an avowed fan of Stephen Bishop and “On And On.”

Patrick Bateman from American Psycho is a fan of On and On by Stephen Bishop in the top 100 yacht rock songs of all time.

BEST LYRIC

“Down in Jamaica
They go lots of pretty women.
Steal your money,
Then they break your heart.”

This should be the new tagline for the Jamaican Tourism Association.



45. “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight” – England Dan & John Ford Coley

"I'd Really Love to See You Tonight" by England Dan & John Ford Coley is in the top 100 yacht rock songs of all time.

When you have mustaches and mullets like England Dan and John Ford Coley you don’t ever have to worry about who you’re going home with. This fact seems fitting since “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight” is about a man who wants to see his former love again, even though it won’t be for anything long-term. The lyrics are basically a proposal for a booty call, or whatever those were called in the 70s.

However, just be sure you don’t actually play this song when you invited that girl up to your apartment – she might catch on.

Listen to “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight” by England Dan & John Ford Coley:

I'd Really Love To See You Tonight
BEST TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS ON YOUR YACHT IS…

…when you’ve landed in the Caribbean for one night and need some excitement.

BEST USES IN POP CULTURE

In the 1996 action thriller film The Long Kiss Goodnight, Samuel Jackson’s character hears this song on the radio and mistakenly sings the chorus as “I’m not talking ’bout the linens…” instead of “I’m not talking ’bout moving in.” Geena Davis’ character promptly corrects him: “It’s not linen. The song’s not about linen.”

sljackson

Obviously she had not seen Pulp Fiction or she would’ve kept her mouth shut.

BEST LYRIC

“I won’t ask for promises
So you don’t have to lie.
We’ve both played that game before.
Say I love you, then say goodbye.”

Greatest pick-up line ever.



44. “Tonight’s The Night” (Gonna Be Alright) – Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart "Tonight's the night" is in the top 100 yacht rock songs of all time.

If “Tonight’s The Night” was written as a smutty romance novel, it would probably start something like this:

“Rod Stewart sits by the fire, sips a glass of expensive champagne, and waits patiently for the company of his young virgin. She removes her shoes, and draws the blinds so no one will discover their hidden desires.”

…only the video makes the song sound more like the anthem for Creepfest 2014 than a romantic encounter, but I guess when you look like Rod Stewart does then “creepy” is the only way to go:

Rod Stewart - Tonight's The Night [Gonna Be Alright]

Stewart’s girlfriend at the time, Swedish actress Britt Ekland, sang the French part at the end. Luckily, she played the Bond girl in The Man with the Golden Gun, so she was already used to harassing sexual propositions.

BEST TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS ON YOUR YACHT IS…

…after you’ve invited your best friend for a cruise and all he does is talk to your 18-year old daughter.

BEST USES IN POP CULTURE

In 2003, a musical called “Tonight’s The Night” opened in London, and featured Rod Stewart’s hits in much the same way as Abba’s songs in Mamma Mia! Needless to say, Tonight’s The Night” closed a year later.

BEST LYRIC

“You’d be a fool to stop this tide.
Spread your wings and let me come inside.”

This song was almost not released as a single in England because of this suggestive lyric.



43. “Emotion” – Samantha Sang

Samantha Song Emotion is in the Top 100 Yacht Rock songs of all time.

Who’s that “smoke show” in the middle of a…smoke show? No, it’s not the mom from That 70s Show. It’s Samantha Sang, and she’s singing about emotions and stuff. And what are her emotions? Probably the same ones you feel when you’re besties with the Bee Gees, who actually wrote the song “Emotions” for Sang. Samantha was probably just glad for her fifteen minutes of fame – as this was her only hit – and the Gibb brothers were probably super pissed they didn’t fully claim this song as their own.

Robin, do you have anything to add?

gibb

Listen to “Emotion” by Samantha Sang:

SAMANTHA SANG ~ "EMOTION" (with The Bee Gees) highest def. audio/video~ 1977
BEST TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS ON YOUR YACHT IS…

…when the sun finally comes out after a three-hour sea storm.

BEST USES IN POP CULTURE

“Emotion” was originally written for the film Saturday Night Fever, but was not used in the movie. It does appear in the 1978 soft-core porn film The Stud, which Joan Collins credits as “reviving” her career. This is normally Hollywood-speak for “she’s naked in it.”

BEST LYRIC

“I’ll cry me a river
That leads to your ocean.
You never see me fall apart.
In the words of a broken heart.”

This is probably how the Gibb brothers felt after only recording back up vocals for the song, as it rose to #3 on the U.S. charts. The Bee Gees recorded their own version of “Emotion” in 1994 and released it on their Greatest Hits album in 2001, so “take that!” Samantha Sang.



42. “Couldn’t Get It Right” – Climax Blues Band

The Climax Blue Band "Couldn't Get It Right" is in the top 100 yacht rock songs of all time.

Don’t be fooled by this photo: the Climax Blue Band are NOT serial killers. They’ve just been on the road a very, very long time. In fact, it wasn’t until after recording eight previous albums that they kind of “stumbled” upon “Couldn’t Get It Right” – one of their only hits.

Climax Blue Band wrote the song as a tribute to being on the road in America since it took them about five years to finally figure out that using a tour bus was WAY more efficient than flying everywhere. It also makes you wonder how they could afford flying everywhere if “Couldn’t Get It Right” was their first hit.

Listen to “Couldn’t Get It Right” by Climax Blues Band:

Climax Blues Band - Couldn't Get It Right (Top of the Pops)
BEST TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS ON YOUR YACHT IS…

…when you get stuck out in the middle of the ocean because you ran out of gas.

BEST USES IN POP CULTURE

Fun Lovin’ Criminals covered “Couldn’t Get It Right” on their 1999 album Mimosa, and Stockholm Syndrome recorded it on their 2004 album Holy Happy Hour. I’m pretty positive that NO ONE has heard either version.

BEST LYRIC

But I kept on looking for a sign
In the middle of the night,
But I couldn’t see the light,
No, I couldn’t see the light.

“Looking for a sign” referred to all the hotel signs, because the moment they saw the Holiday Inn, that meant they could sleep for the night. Uhhh, I’ve been to quite a few Holiday Inns, and I don’t think of sleep when I hear that name.



41. “Sail On” – The Commodores

"Sail On" by the Commodores is in the Top 100 Yacht Rock songs of all time.

I bet The Commodores had no idea they were going to make the music video for “Sail On” at a karaoke bar, but luckily they brought their 8mm video cam with them. The only thing that would’ve made this video better is if they also included some stock footage of a fat guy buried in the sand on the beach.

“Sail On” is about a man who has finally realized his relationship is never going to work and he’s tired of trying. He has decided to end it as painlessly as possible and live out the rest of his life. Ironically, this is very similar to how Lionel Richie felt when he decided to go solo in 1982.

BEST TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS ON YOUR YACHT IS…

…when you realize you’re about 100 miles off course and you just keep going, because “who cares.”

BEST USES IN POP CULTURE

“Sail On” wasn’t used in anything notable, but it SHOULD be the gold standard for all amateur music videos. Take note, karaoke bars.

Commodores - Sail On

BEST LYRIC

I gave you my heart and I tried to make you happy.
And you gave me nothin’ in return.
You know, it ain’t so hard to say,
‘Would you please just go away,’ yeah, yeah.

The Commodores do not want to “still be friends.”



Check out the other editions of the TOP 100 YACHT ROCK SONGS OF ALL-TIME:

Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #91-100
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #81-90
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #71-80
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #61-70
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #51-60
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #41-50
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #31-40
Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #21-30


If you love karaoke and Yacht Rock, then check out Hello, Loser on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

45 thoughts on “Top 100 Yacht Rock Songs – #41-50”

  1. I never knew that the Climax Blues Band was actually Martha Quinn and the Branch Davidians who held her captive. Thanks for clearing that up.

  2. I need this to be finished and I will help if need be. I’m throwing a huge yacht rock party in los angeles this month. If you can make it, consider yourself invited.

  3. dirty south, I’ve just discovered this FANTASTIC series of posts, and it has given me so much joy, laughs and inspiration. You’ve put a ton of work into this, and I want you to know how sincerely I appreciate it. You’re such a witty writer, and the cross-referencing with Yacht Rock in pop culture is the crowning touch to your choices.

    Like the rest of your fans, I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment: the top 40 countdown.

    I’m doing my bit to spread the Yacht Rock gospel on my occasional BBC Radio 2 show called…”Yacht Rock”: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03m6xnw

    I blend classic YR with deeper cuts and counterpoint them with contemporary indie kids who have that sleek blue-eyed soul flair.

    The next special will air after Xmas 2014.

    I can’t wait to hear who the freak in the captain’s hat turns out to be…

    Katie Puckrik

  4. This list make me smile and I enjoy the fantastic typ of music. Since a german radio DJ indicated me to Breads “It doesn’t matter to me” and Yacht Rock I wouldn’t hear another style of music. For a foreign listener it is interesting to discover so much different music which is unknown in Germany. Love to see your list be finished. Keep on sailing!!!

  5. I lit a little candle hoping this list would be completed, but alas my hopes and dreams were dashed…Please finish this epic list

  6. PLEASE finish this! You HAVE to! You are closing in on something legendary, necessary, beautiful and definitive! This is CRUCIAL for the pop culture! I’ll do whatever I can to help!

    I’m not even kidding. Like Brandy, I gew up in a “harbor town,” and every song on this list was the sound of my childhood. I love this stuff unabashedly, and completely without irony.

  7. #49 “Somebody’s Baby” – The movie “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” would run afoul of 18 USC 2257, a law aimed at preventing even representations of persons aged under 18 years old from being depicted in ‘sexual situations’, if it had been proposed to be made today. So basically, if you have this movie on DVD, you could wind up on a sex offender registry.

Talk to me, loser.

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